Detent assembly



Oct. 10 1967 F. J. MILANOWSKI DETENT ASSEMBLY Filed Jan.

INVENTOR. FLOYD J. MILANOWSKI AT TORNEYS 3,345,913 DETENT ASSEMBLY Floyd J. Milanowski, Stanhope, N.J., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Jan. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 519,167 3 Claims. (Cl. 891) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is directed to a detent assembly for use in a projectile and capable of restraining a projectile element which is under a very high degree of force or pressure. The assembly includes a tubular member whose sidewall has diametrically opposed apertures intermediate tits forward and rearward portions, a telescoping sleeve under a very heavy spring force surrounding the tubular rearward portion and having a transverse forwardmost edge, a pair of detents each pivotably mounted within the tubular member, each detent having a first flat surface normally extending through a respective aperture and in the path of and in abutment with the sleeve forward edge as well as a second flat surface substantially perpendicular to its respective first flat surface, an anvil having substantially parallel flat sidewalls normally abutting the respective detent second flat surfaces and opposing or restraining the heavy spring biased sleeve, and a piston, actuated by a ballistic charge and connected by its rod to the anvil, slidably mounted in the tubular rearward portion. An appropriate piston rod guide and anvil abutment member are provided to control anvil motion or movement to a position clear of the pivoted detent paths.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a detent assembly, and more particularly, to a detent assembly especially adapted for use in a projectile.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a detent assembly having a minimum number of parts which are easy to assemble.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an assembly which upon actuation will provide a positive detent release.

In one aspect of the invention the detent assembly includes a tubular member having a sidewall portion containing apertured means intermediate forward and rearward portions of the tubular member, a telescoping sleeve surrounding the tubular rearward portion and biased forwardly, detent means pivotally mounted within the tubular member and normally held in a position extending in the path of the sleeve by a solid member in opposition to a biasing release means, and ballistic means connected to the solid member for moving the said member away from the detent means.

These and other objects, advantages and features will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational section view of a preferred arrangement embodying the principles of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 when the arrangement is activated.

Appropriately mounted within a projectile is a detent assembly shown generally at 11 that includes a basic I nited States Patent tubular support member or housing 12, the sidewall portlons of which contain suitable apertures 13, 13 intermediate its forward and rearward portions 14, 15. A telescoping sleeve or ring 16 surrounds the rear tubular portion 15 and is biased forwardly by suitably heavy spring means 28 or the like to carry out a predetermined mission within the projectile when desired. Spaced, parallel hinge pins 17, 17 extending transversely within housing 12 from their corresponding journal supports 18' (FIG. 2) for pivotally supporting their respective detent members 19, 29. The outwardmost straight edges or flat surfaces of detents 19, 20 are normally urged by anvil 21 outwardly through the slots 13, 13 into the path of and in abutment with the transversely extending sleeve forward edge 16A (FIG. 1).

Anvil or an equivalent solid member 21 is connected by push or piston rod 22 to an appropriate ballistic charge 30. The arrangement is such that upon ignition of the ballistic charge the anvil is positively and rapidly moved forwardly against an abutment member 26 (FIG. 3) suitably secured in the forward tubular portion 14. With the anvil 21 removed from its position between the innermost straight edges or flat surfaces of the respective detents 19, 20, the sleeve 16 swiftly pivots the detents to their innermost positions (FIG. 3) wherein they no longer impede forward movement of sleeve 15.

Various modifications, changes or alterations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A detent assembly comprising a tubular member having a sidewall portion containing diametrically opposed apertures positioned intermediate forward and rearward tubular portions of said member,

a telescoping sleeve surrounding said tubular rearward portion,

means biasing said sleeve forwardly toward said tubular forward portion,

a pair of detents each pivotally mounted within said tubular member, each detent having a first flat surface normally extending through a corresponding one of said apertures and in the path of said sleeve, each detent having a second fiat surface substantially perpendicular to its corresponding first flat surface,

a solid member having substantially parallel flat side walls normally positioned against respective ones of said detent second flat surfaces in opposition to said biasing means, and

ballistic means connected to said solid member for moving said solid member away and clear from said detents,

so constructed and arranged that upon ignition of said ballistic means said detents will be positively moved by said sleeve out of the path of said sleeve.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said solid member is an anvil.

3. A detent assembly comprising a tubular member having a sidewall portion containing diametrically opposed apertures positioned intermediate forward and rearward tubular portions of said member,

a telescoping sleeve surrounding said tubular rearward portion and having a transversely extending forward edge,

means biasing said sleeve forwardly toward said tubular forward portion,

a pair of detents each pivotally mounted within said tubular member, each detent having a first flat sufface normally extending through a corresponding one of said apertures and in the path of and in 3 4 abutment with said sleeve forward edge, each deby said sleeve away from and out of the path of tent having a second flat surface substantially persaid sleeve. pendic-ular to its corresponding first flat surface, References Cited an anvil having substantially parallel flat sidewalls nor- UN STATES PATENTS mally positioned against respective ones of said de- 5 1 234 943 7/1917 Asbury 102 70 tent second fiat surfaces in opposition to said biasing 2:485:921 10/1949 Fa and I 3,071,404 1/1963 Van Hove s9 1.o1 ball1st1c means connected to said anvil for moving said 3,140,886 7/1964 cotina et 89 1'01 anvil away and clear from said detents, so constructed and arranged that upon ignition of said 10 BENJAMIN BORCHELT, y Examinerballistic means said detents will be positively moved H. .GLANZMAN. Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DETENT ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A SIDEWALL PORTION CONTAINING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED APERTURES POSITIONED INTERMEDIATE FORWARD AND REARWARD TUBULAR PORTIONS OF SAID MEMBER, A TELESCOPING SLEEVE SURROUNDING SAID TUBULAR REARWARD PORTION, MEANS BIASING SAID SLEEVE FORWARDLY TOWARD SAID TUBULAR FORWARD PORTION, A PAIR OF DETENTS EACH PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, EACH DETENT HAVING A FIRST FLAT SURFACE NORMALLY EXTENDING THROUGH A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID APERTURES AND IN THE PATH OF SAID SLEEVE, EACH DETENT HAVING A SECOND FLAT SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO ITS CORRESPONDING FIRST FLAT SURFACE, A SOLID MEMBER HAVING SUSBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL FLAT SIDEWALLS NORMALLY POSITIONED AGAINST RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID DETENT SECOND FLAT SURFACES IN OPPOSITION TO SAID BIASING MEANS, AND BALLISTIC MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SOLID MEMBER FOR MOVING SAID SOLID MEMBER AWAY AND CLEAR FROM SAID DETENTS, SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED THAT UPON IGNITION OF SAID BALLISTIC MEANS SAID DETENTS WILL BE POSITIVELY MOVED BY SAID SLEEVE OUT OF THE PATH OF SAID SLEEVE. 